The Impact of AIDS in the Native American Community.

I. HIV Infection and AIDS in the Native American Community

HIV has now reached even the most remotely located Native American people. HIV-disease presents unique dangers and devastating possibilities in the Native American community where health care often goes unchecked and manifestations of a history of oppression and substandard health care are evident.

The Native Americans in the Aberdeen area are not immune to the AIDS epidemic. In fact, existing health conditions put them at a high risk of contracting the virus. Rural reservations are highly susceptible to the devastation of the disease because health care services are understaffed and underfunded and awareness is low. These factors also have a negative impact on those who are already infected, making their lives more difficult and causing their life span to be shortened.

It should be noted that the fastest growing rate of HIV infection is in women in these communities. These women are also confronted with the additional burden of caretaking, issues of domestic violence, infringements of their reproductive rights, and neglect and mistreatment by the health care system. Another area of concern on reservations is the health needs of marginalized groups, such as prisoners and injection drug users. Rates of HIV infection for these two groups could be reduced if more attention was given to the health needs of these groups.

In order for the situation to improve for Native Americans, the Aberdeen area needs facilities with the capacity to test for HIV, to care for people living with HIV disease, and to promote awareness and prevention of the disease. Prevention and treatment must focus specifically on adolescents and women, who have been overlooked by the system and whose rates of transmission are increasing exponentially. Prevention and awareness in women and youth are essential to stop the cycle of HIV infection. As in addressing all cultures, awareness and sensitivity toward cultural issues are imperative. Intervention does not mean interference. The reproductive rights of women, the religious freedom of Native Americans and the privacy of individuals cannot be jeopardized in any way as these rights continue to be difficult to fully obtain and maintain.

The fight against HIV disease will enlist people and institutions that traditionally have been unresponsive to Native American needs, culturally insensitive to Native American customs and beliefs, and prejudicial in their behavior. Efforts must come from within the community, from Tribal councils and community groups to take the lead in the fight against AIDS in the Native American Community.

II. Background on HIV and AIDS